Cherry Chia Kombucha

July 04, 2013

I am such a quasi hippie.

I'd love to grind my own organic wheat, make my own cheese, and use only essential oils for all ailments. Time and money have been the biggest deterrents in this season of life. So, I do what I can when I can. I have become quite consistent about brewing kombucha, however. I think it's weird enough that it makes up for all that I don't or can't do, like make my own deodorant.

Like most folks, I was first introduced to store-bought kombucha. The taste was fizzy and pleasant, and the health benefits sounded-- and ultimately proved to be-- fantastic. (We have the boys drink it for the pro-biotic benefits, but they think they are drinking soda...they're so sheltered. :) ) But at over $3 a bottle, we knew we couldn't afford such a healthy habit. So, we adopted a scoby (a starter) from a friend, and started brewing our own. You can find detailed instructions on how to brew kombucha here.

My favorite store-bought kombucha, is G.T.'s Cherry Chia Kombucha. If you have texture issues, this may not be the drink for you. However, once you embrace the tapioca-like texture of soaked chia seeds, you'll find this flavor of kombucha addicting and delicious! I've only recently caught up with the health benefits of chia seeds-- 6x the omega 3's as salmon and digestable without grinding (unlike flax seed.) And, as I discovered this week, making cherry chia kombucha is really a piece of cake.

Here's all you need:

kombucha

cherry juice

chia seeds

I usually bottle my kombucha individually for refrigeration. To make the cherry chia flavor, I simply leave a little extra room at the top, and add a small amount of cherry juice to taste, a tablespoon or two of chia seeds (depending on size of jar/bottle), shake, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Chia seeds will expand and become gelatinous when soaked in liquid, and taste fun and add protein to your morning kombucha! Take note that some of the chia seeds can clump together when expanded. You can break them up with a fork or simply remove unwanted clumps if you find it unpleasant.

Please try it! I've been thoroughly pleased...and will likely never buy from the store again!